Must-Read Health Updates for 2012

Yes, it’s time to take all the complicated medical updates and condense them into one fun blog post! Here, I share with you new, must-know health updates for 2012 that you and your family. I have condensed some of the most important health updates of this year – and yes, you won’t barf from any medical jargon.

2012 Health Updates You Must Read

Here are some of the most important health updates from the past few months that you just must read. They revolve around important health issues that actually make a significant impact on almost every household.

If you don’t have as much sex drive as you used to, it might be your blood sugar’s fault. A new study on middle-aged women revealed that diabetes leads to unsatisfactory sex in women. Women with high blood sugar don’t get off as much as their normal counterparts! So, skip the chocolate cake if you want to get laid.

A new type of coffee has been proven to cause weight loss. Even without any diet change or increase in exercise, the addition of this type of coffee to your diet actually helps you shed the extra pounds. You can read about what coffee causes weight loss and check your supermarket if you want to try it.

Countries where general practitioners are respected have better health statistics. Many studies on primary care have proven time and time again that in countries where general practice doctors (those who didn’t specialize) get as much respect as specialists, people are in the best of health. And get this: those countries spend less on health, too! But in many countries (including my own), general practice carries a stigma.

Patients are stubborn and you can’t teach them to be healthy – unless they’re already sick.

In a study that finds a relationship between health teachings and health improvement, findings showed a surprising conclusion: patients don’t really care for health teachings if they’re not at risk! It’s understandable: why would you listen to a lecture on diabetes if you don’t have high blood sugar? The financial significance of this was discussed during the Cancer Stakeholders’ Meeting last May 2012.

Coffee actually prolongs life. Studies from long ago have bashed coffee, saying it leads to death in many coffee drinnkers. But those coffee drinkers are also smokers, which muddled the study’s findings! After adjustments have been made, statistics are dancing to a different tune: coffee drinking actually led to a longer life! Maybe the tree of life is actually a coffee tree? Just a thought.

Watching TV (and keeping it on even when you’re sleeping) switches on a gene that codes for depression. I don’t even need to read the article on television and depressive genes; if you ask me, the fact that you’re sleeping alone at night and waiting for the television to lull you to sleep is depressing enough. Not to mention that it’s a waste of electricity! Switch off your TV when you’re about to sleep and your mood will thank you for it. Speaking of television, I was on TV lately! I hope none of you get depressed when you watch the episode.

I don’t think the news on local television actually features enough health updates. I don’t see too many updates on cancer, obesity, HIV, and other important “global shakers”. Instead, I see news that tend to be sensational: new deadly viruses, big and scary tumors, and freak medical accidents. Although these are entertaining, I feel like the public is no longer well-informed when it comes to health.

That’s why I’ll post more health updates soon. I hope you check back regularly! Feel free to share this article with friends on Facebook. Oh, I won’t mind if you “like” this blog post, too – please and thank you! And don’t forget to leave a comment if you have any questions; ask away.

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About the bloggerStef dela Cruz is a doctor and writer. She received the 2013 Award for Health Media from the Department of Health. She maintains a health column in Health.Care Magazine and a cat welfare column in The Manila Bulletin's Animal Scene. Add her Google profile to your circles.

Great write-up Ms. Stef! Yes, now a days, some of the news or information in the television tackle of gossip, virus, etc. but not on the health of the people or the community they have. more health tips soon! Godbless :)

Eating a healthy diet goes hand-in-hand with taking care ofone's body. We are what we eat so taking care in selecting what foods we ingest forms part of our whole being.

The healthy food choices we eat leads to good nutrition and health . Most of these superfoods such as coffee, green tea, banana etc. are normally found in our kitchen. If we only do away with the fastfoods and opt for more home-cooked ones then we can keep all illnesses at bay.

Thanks for the updates, Doc Stef. I think it's important for everyone to actively look for health updates on a regular basis. Especially those who have their own families, with little kids. We can't rely on TV or radio all the time, because sometimes health issues are set aside in favor of more popular news on well-known personalities.I'm curious about the coffee proven to cause weight loss. Is that available here in the Philippines?

Question from mas: "I'm curious about the coffee proven to cause weight loss. Is that available here in the Philippines?"

Actually, I didn't know until a few weeks ago that the coffee beans that cause weight loss is already available as an extract. The extract is marketed as part of a fruit drink. (Hats off to the research department of that company; they are quick when it comes to looking for weight loss updates!)

I don't know if green coffee extract (GCE) can cause weight loss as effectively as green coffee itself, but perhaps it does. I remember having tummy issues (expected after drinking green coffee) after I drank the fruit juice with GCE, so I want to think the fruit juice has achieved its purpose. :) But I can't vouch for it a hundred percent.

oh wow!!Thank God wala pa akong diabetes..hahaha but I need this new type of coffee that will help me to lose weight. Don't let TV shows make you feel depressed..Stay healthy everyone!! thanks Ms. Stef for this info..

That's very informative Dr. Stef dela Cruz. Being a graduate in nursing, I learned a lot about your blogpost of must-know health updates for 2012. It's quite interesting to read. About the health teaching , that is very true that the patients or people: sick or well are not interested to learn about a particular teaching if they don't have that disease or illness. Definitely true! Then about the coffee, I just know now that coffee prolongs life. Unfortunately, I don't drink coffee eversince I really don't know why just simply I don't like it specifically the strong smell of it. It makes my head aches, really! But anyway, thank you so much for the informations Doc! ^_^

"Why should we read health blogs more often?"-to prevent more health care.. now me as a new mom im concern about my health health blog are really helpful to me and to my son now. tru health blog i just know whats best and what good to my family. PROPER food,medicine,and exercise are in health care.

As a nursing student it is really important for me to read many health blogs because aside from rendering care to my patients it is also very important to us to do health teachings to our patient. We should give or inform them the right fact about their condition, the right food they have to eat, the right medication they have to take and why such medication. We should have a broader knowledge on different trends in health care especially the new one.This blog will totally help me give a new fact to my patients and prevent their diseases to recur. :D

It is important to have more health blogs as more Filipinos need free information on health amid the prevailing economic conditions and poor health information dissemination in the country.

Health blogs are also conversational vis-a-vis health websites. Unfortunately, health television programs currently are being aired on unholy early hours during the weekend. Filipinos need blogs on the topic that are accessible at any time of the day.

The interaction on the health blog sites can also lead to other solutions not found on the blog entry. In this way, a health blog becomes a venue for discussion and exchange of ideas.

We should read Health blogs more often for us to keep updated about the latest medical breakthroughs. Since our world is dynamic, we should also practice dynamism especially with regards to our health. Reading health blogs will really help us gain insights on how to take more care of our health. Cliche but still Prevention is better than cure :-)/

As a widowed mom it is really important for me to read health blogs because it gives me more knowledge about health care. It helps me to understand more the needs of my children about their health. It gives me confidence that even I'm the only one taking care of them, I know that I can manage because of what I learned from the different blogs that I've read.

Filipinos are really health conscious. If there are news about new discovery, diseases and uprising issues about health, we surely don't want to miss it. I can say that I don't have a healthy lifestyle yet reading different health blogs made me realize that I should be more observant and responsible from the foods I intake, habits that I should halt and common misconceptions about health. It is important that we read and be updated with health blogs because it not only inform us with the latest news but it open our eyes that we should be aware and make our life style healthy. I loved your blog Dr. Stef Dela Cruz because it not only tackled about foods, you also discussed health practitioners and unhealthy habits. Thank you so much. I'm glad that I read your blog. I share the goodness and effectiveness of reading health blogs with my family and friends. More powers! God bless. :)

I will try to contact you through your Google Plus profile (I am still trying to figure out how to call your attention through Google. Are you on Facebook? In any case, please contact me anytime on Facebook so that I can give you your PhP500 GC. :)

I will also update the rest of the contests I am holding on my Facebook page so follow me there and watch out for the NEXT PhP500 GC giveaway next week!

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Doctors don't just wear white coats - they also wear many hats! I now don the hat of a humble writer. I hope that by sharing anecdotes about doctors and stories about wellness, I can give you a peek behind the curtain and work with you to keep every Juan and Maria healthy.

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“Sayang naman ang pinag-aralan mo (what a waste your education was).”

That’s what people say when they find out that Stef dela Cruz is a doctor who traded her stethoscope for the humble pen. Her answer to them is this blog, as it is both a means and an end: It explains her decision to swap professions while it is also the very product of her calling to write.

A nurse and doctor who graduated with Latin honors in both degrees at the University of Santo Tomas, she is now a columnist for two print magazines and a website. She also contributes to a national newspaper.

Through her blog, she dreams of healing and saving lives, one article at a time. Join her in her mission – all you have to do is read and share.